Not sure about others, but slowing down and enjoying domestic life has always been an important part of enjoying the Christmas holidays for me. With a bountiful pecan crop this year, I have been buying sacks of five to ten pounds of natives or improved seeding pecans from Weinheimer’s General Store in Stonewall, and shelling them out in the evenings when I am enjoying down time with the family. Locals pick up pecans in from their trees, sell them to Weinheimer’s who then resell them to their customers. Traditionally, native pecans don’t bring prices anywhere that of larger improved varieties, but if you pick them carefully, you can find some very high quality nuts at a fraction of what shelled pecans bring in the store. I have fancier nut crackers, but I like to use my old manual Perfection Nutcracker, Model 28.
Found this cracker in a junk store, but didn’t really know anything about it, I think I paid two dollars for it. Not sure of all of the history, but this model was made by Malleable Iron Fittings Company in Branford, Connecticut, probably in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. I have seen other models, virtually identical, but that were made in Waco, Texas. Those crackers date from around 1919. No batteries to replace, no rubber bands to break, it always works as long as I do. So for tonight, I’m going to fry some redfish throats, enjoy the family while they are still here, and crack out some nuts for ourselves, the rest are already eaten or given away as presents.
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